Liam wins state medal and four in top 10 at state sprints

SWIMMING: Warwick Swimming Club member Liam Vickers has won silver in the 11-years 50m butterfly at the Ronald McDonald House Queensland State Sprints.

He was one of four swimmers from the Southern Downs to finish in the top 10 in the sprints at Chandler.

More than 10 swimmers from the Warwick, Allora and Killarney clubs swam in the state sprints with personal bests galore for the children in the squads of Andrew Fidge.

As well as his silver, Liam had top 10 finishes in freestyle and backstroke.

Allora Swimming Club member Cooper Harm was fifth in the 10-years 50m backstroke and Warwick swimmer Emma Day sixth in 10-years 50m breaststroke.

Will Gilmore was seventh in 50m butterfly and also made the top 10 in freestyle and backstroke.

Fidge said he was happy with the performances of his swimmers at the state sprints.

"Seven of my swimmers also made the Darling Downs 13-19 years schools team to compete in the state championships in March at Chandler and I expect some 10-12 years swimmers to make the regional team after next Wednesday's championships in Gatton,” Fidge said.

"I see this as a re-building year for squad swimming. Most of my swimmers this year have swum with me in the past but it is good to have most of the squad swimming at one central location.

"Most of the swimmers train at WIRAC and I coach Killarney swimmers at the town pool, which I run.

"There are 40 members in the Killarney club, which has a lot of young children in their first seasons of squad swimming.”

While the squad swimming will finish for the summer late next month, Fidge plans to have a winter squad in operation by the middle of May.

"I want to give the swimmers a break and then we can reset our plans for the 2017-2018 swimming season,” Fidge said.

"My aim in the next year is for some swimmers from my squads to secure spots in Queensland school teams to compete at the next nationals.

"We have had a good season and next season will be about consolidation and improvement.”